Special Topics: Manuscript Bootcamp

In this two-day intensive bootcamp, open to writers of fiction and narrative non-fiction, you'll be given the opportunity to make serious progress on your manuscript. The bootcamp consists of lectures on:

• Recognizing the true arc of your book
• Learning to create or refine your throughline
• Charting change in your characters 
• Building action across the entire face of your book
• Building scenes
• Blasting through blocks
• Creating a flow that keeps your writing going over the long haul

We will also touch on ways to silence your inner critic, and provide many tips on completing your first draft. As well as getting the juices flowing through lectures, you'll receive dedicated writing time to work on your project and some one-on-one writing support from the instructor. Finally, at the end of the session, you'll have the opportunity to workshop your writing with a small, supportive group.

You do not need to have a manuscript. You can use your time in the bootcamp to start your project, or you can work more deeply, and overcome obstacles, with an existing project.

If you are having trouble starting your project, we will give you a host of ideas for how to get into the material, delve deeper, and explore your subject and characters.

• Stages of writing a manuscript—from notebook dreaming to final draft
• The crucial role of clusters, outlines and planning to chart the action of your story over time
• Scene building—creating key scenes, beginning, middle and end, that bolt the book together
• How to silence your inner critic
• How to create and maintain a flow, so the pages mount up
• The importance of creating dedicated writing time, and nurturing your writing self over the marathon of book creation
• How to maintain your momentum and complete your manuscript after the bootcamp is over
• The value of a writing group, and how to join or create your own

Schedule

Day 1 – 10:00–4:30 – The serious act of playing with structure.

• 10:00–10:30 – Welcome and introductions
• 10:30–11:30 – Instructor lecture on creating and refining the arc of a book
• 11:30–12:30 – Creative experimenting  
• 12:30–1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30–2:30 – Scene building lecture and discussion
• 2:30–4:00 – Scene building, and individual writing
• 4:00–4:30 – Wrap up, read aloud, and plans for the upcoming writing week

Day 2 – 10:00–4:30 – Getting it down. The tools to write, keep going, and to finish.

• 10:00–10:30 – The writing week: Report back and discussion
• 10:30–11:30 – Tools for creating flow in first draft, second draft and editing
• 11:30–12:30 – Writing deeper into your book, opening up the action, creating or revising key scenes
• 12:30–1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30–3:00 – Individual writing and/or discussion of your book with instructor
• 3:00–4:00 – Small group workshops and/or discussion of your book with instructor
• 4:00 – Wrap up. Individual and group commitments going forward.

• Lectures and discussions
• Experiments
• Dedicated writing time
• Intensive character work
• Writing support from the instructor
• Workshops

Students will have the opportunity to workshop some of their writing with a small group, and to read their writing to the full group.

Please bring a laptop, if you use one, lots of paper and a pen or pencil. All other learning materials will be provided.